Well, it's natural to wonder about one's future when diagnosed and hearing those words "you've got cancer...!"

When I got my notification on 24 January 2014, it floored me, I had my pity party, then got up and got to work.

I was 57, two daughters, in middle and high school. Would over them graduate from high school, college, walk then down the aisle, see grandkids, what was my wife going to do when I passed first, sooner...

I'm high risk, GS 8, GG 4, after surgery, only 18 months to BCR, failure of SRT, rapid PSA doubling and velocity...

Here we are, 12+ years later, here I am!

Both daughters have graduated from college, they have steady vacations, haven't walked them due b the aisle, no grandkids though a grand dog...

Wife and I are now at our 36th anniversary, we've taken multiple vacations, gone to some great concerts...

You get the idea, a lot of living taking place.

One thing to consider is lowering your time frame, don't think of 10-15 years, rather, shorten that horizon to 3-5 years, will this work for that period, yes., ok, research is constantly changing and advancing the treatment landscape.

We are transitioning from population to individualized based treatment and from fatal to chronic.

Obviously, some 35k die each year of PCa so yes, you can die....

What can you do?

Stay informed, when (if) your time comes to make the next treatment decision, you know what changes have been brought about medical research and are entering mainstream clinical practice.

Discuss with your medical team the plan to monitor your PCa if snd when off treatment, frequency and type of labs, imaging, conduits, criteria for going back on treatment, if on treatment, de-intensification criteria

Also, discuss how to mitigate the side effects of any treatment, diet, exercise, managing stress, things your medical team can do...

Keep an eye on your overall health, physicals, labs, diagnostic tests such as colonoscopies, manage your heart health, blood pressure, cholesterol, weight...

In my 12+ years, three have been on treatment, the rest off. How, I don't know! Even on treatment I largely lived my life with the only difference being how I felt.

Lastly, go live life.

Kevin